Ukraine accuses Orbán of symbolic politics and isolating prisoners of war after being transferred from Russia

Ukraine accuses Orbán of symbolic politics and isolating prisoners of war after being transferred from Russia

Kiev has accused the Hungarian government of denying its diplomats access to Ukrainian prisoners of war transferred from Russia to Hungary. International news agencies report this on Tuesday. These are prisoners of war from the western region of Transcarpathia, where a large Hungarian community lives.

Eleven Ukrainians were transferred to Hungary early this month with the intervention of the Russian Orthodox Church, without their knowledge, according to Ukrainian authorities. According to Kiev, the prisoners of war hardly have any contact with the outside world. The Ukrainian consul wants to examine the physical and psychological condition of the prisoners of war in Hungary and explain their rights to them, but all attempts by Ukrainian diplomats in recent days have failed.

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuliba, the transfer of the prisoners of war was carried out because of Viktor Orbán’s political interests. “There was one simple goal: Orbán had to show the Hungarians both in Hungary and abroad that he was their only defender,” Koeleba said on Ukrainian television.

A representative of Orbán’s government said, according to international media, that the soldiers arrived in Hungary “voluntarily” and Kiev was informed after their transfer. According to him, they could also leave Hungary at any time.